It’s a musical tribute to happiness, freedom and the exuberance of life.
The Burnaby-based Maple Leaf Singers are coming to Massey Theatre on May 30 and 31 for their spring performance, Touch the Sky.
“We don’t put on a concert, we put on a show,” says musical director Wilson Fowlie in a press release. “We create beauty together – sometimes transcendent, sometimes whimsical, but always beautiful. People who have seen us remark on our professional presentation, our energy and sense of fun. They leave a show feeling good, and that’s what we want.”
Touch the Sky offers up a range of music, pairing Elton John’s Crocodile Rock and The Lion King with the rhythm of Swing’s the Thing and Swingin’ with the Saints. Audiences can enjoy the classic favourites My Favourite Things, Simple Gifts and Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, along with the recent hit Happy – plus some Everly Brothers, We Need a Little Christmas (yes, even in May) and much more.
The show includes original choreography and costumes, plus special solo, duet and quartet acts.
The Maple Leaf Singers are a longstanding group on the Vancouver choral scene. The group originated in 1968 with 24 members under the leadership of New Westminster couple George and Marie Gillis. In 2001, they handed the reins over to Fowlie, and this year, the group marks its 47th anniversary with 55 members singing six-part harmony.
Members of the group travel to Burnaby to rehearse from all parts of Metro Vancouver, from the North Shore to Surrey to Port Coquitlam.
The choir performs more than a dozen shows a year at community centres, churches, seniors’ residences and a variety of special events. Ticket proceeds from Touch the Sky help to cover the costs of rehearsal locations, sound equipment, musical scores and costumes.
The show hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 30 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 31. General admission tickets are $20, or $10 for children 12 and under.
See www.mapleleafsingers.com or contact the Massey box office at 604-521-5050.
